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Metamorphosed Gypsies is a much longer and more elaborate performance than the others. It comprises, as its title will probably suggest, a considerable quantity of the gipsy cant or slang, and some rough and not over-delicate jesting; but several of the lyrics are, as usual, very delightful." (P. xxiii-iv.)

The present song is the answer to the following question of Puppy's to the gipsy Patrico :-"But I pray, sir, if a man might ask on you, how came your Captain's place first to be called the Devil's Arse?"" Mr. Chappell prints the tune of it at p. 161 of his Popular Music, and says that other copies of the song are in the Pepys Collection of Ballads, and, with music, in Pills to purge Melancholy. Also that "in S. Rowland's Martin Markhall, his defence and answer to the Bellman of London, 1610, is a list of rogues by profession, in which Cock Lorrel stands second. He is thus described:- After him succeeded, by the general council, one Cock Lorrell, the most notorious knave that ever lived.'.. By trade he was a tinker, often carrying a pan and hammer for shew; but when he came to a good booty, he would cast his profession into a ditch, and play the padder." Gifford, who quotes the same treatise from Beloe's Anecdotes, adds that Cock Lorrell as he "past through the town would crie, Ha' ye any worke for a tinker? To write of his knaveries, it would aske a long time. This was he that reduced in forme the Catalogue of Vagabonds or Quartern of Knaves, called the Five and twentie Orders of Knaves. This Cock Lorell continued among them longer than any of his predecessors; for he ruled almost two and twentie years until the year A.D. 1533, and about the five and twenty year of Hen. VIII." In 1565, says Mr. Chappell, a book was printed called The Fraternitye of Vacabondes; whereunto also is adjoyned the twenty-five orders of knaves: confirmed for ever by Cocke Lorell.

Cocke Lorell's Bote, printed by Wynkyn de Worde, is, we hope, so well known by the Percy Society's edition of it, as to need no further mention.

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COOKE Laurell wold needs have the devill his guest,

who came in his hole1 to the Peake to dinner, Where neuer ffeend had such a feast

provided him yet att the charge of a sinner.

His stomacke was queasie, he came thither coachet,2
the logging itt3 made some crudityes ryse;
to helpe itt hee Called for a puritan pochet
that vsed to turne up the eggs of his eyes.

And soe recovered to 5 his wish,

he sett him downe 6 & fell to 7 Meate;

Promooters in plumbe9 broth was his first dish,
his owne priuye 10 kitchen had noe 11 such meate.

12 Sixe pickeld taylors slasht 13 & cutt,

With Sempsters & tire women ffitt for his pallatt,14 With ffeathermen15 & perfumers put

Some 12 in a charger, to make a graue

16 sallett.

Yett thoe with this hee much was taken,
Upon a sudden hee shifted his trencher,
& soone 17 he spyed the Baude & Bacon 18
by which you may know 19 the devill is a wencher. 20

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A rich ffatt vserer stewed in his Marrowe,

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& by him a lawyers head in greene sawce,2 both which his belly tooke in Like a barrowe As if tell 3 then he had neuer seene sowce.4

9

Then, Carbonadoed 5 & cooket 6 with paynes,7
was sett on a clouen sergeants
face;
the sawce was made of his yeamans 10 braynes,
that had beene beaten out with his owne mace.

Tow roasted sherriffes came whole to the borde,the ffeast 11 had beene nothing without them ;— both liuing & dead they were foxed 12 & furred,

theire chaines like sawsinges 13 hang about them.

The next 14 dish was a Maior of a towne,

with a pudding of Maintenance 15 [thrust 16] in his
bellye,

like a goose in his 17 fethers drest in his gowne,

& his couple 18 of hinch boyes 19 boyled to 20 Iellye.

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a stewed Usurer,

a carbonadoed Serjeant's face,

2 roast Sheriffs

a Mayor,

2 boiled Pages,

15 Cap of Maintenance, one of the Regalia, or Ornaments of State, belonging to the King of England, before whom it is carry'd at the Coronation, and other great solemnities. Caps of Maintenance also are carry'd before the Mayors of several Cities of England. Phillips.-F. 16 thrust.-P.

17 the.-P.

18 An has been altered into P in the MS.-F.

19 i. e. pages.-P. A hench-man or hench-boy, page d'honneur qui marche devant quelque Seigneur de grande authorité. Sherwood (in Cotgrave).

See

Mr. Way's note1, Promptorium, p. 293,
and Household Ordinances as there re-
ferred to. Henchman or Heinsmen, a Ger-
man Word signifying a Household-Ser-
vant; and formerly taken amongst us
for a Page of Honour or Footman.
Phillips.-F.
20 to a.-W.

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came hot.-P.

1

A London Cuckold hott from the spitt:

but 2 when the Carver vpp had broke 3 him, the devill chopt up his head att a bitt,

[him.

but the hornes were verry neere like to haue choakt*

The chine of a leacher too there was roasted,
with a plumpe 5 harlotts haunche & garlike;
a Panders petitoes that had boasted
himselfe for a Captaine, yet neuer was warlike.

A long 6 ffatt pasty of a Midwiffe hot:

& for a cold baket meat 7 into the storye,

a reuerend painted Lady was brought,

had beene confined in crust till 9 shee was hooary.

To these an ouer worne1o justice of

11

peace,

12

With a clarke like a gisarne 11 trust vnder eche arme; & warrants for sippitts laid in his owne grace,1 13 a chaffing dish to be kept warme.

Sett ore

14 Then broyled and broacht 15 on a buchers pricke,
the kidney came in of a holy sister;
this bitt had almost made his devillshipp sicke,
that his doctor did feare he wold need a glister.

"ffor harke," quoth hee, "how his bellye rumbles!"
& then with his pawe, that was a reacher,
hee puld to a pye of a traitors numbles,16

& the gibbletts 17 of a silent teacher.

2 and.-P.

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grease.-P.

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over.- -W. 14 W. omits this stanza and the next one.-F. 15 i. e. rosted.-F. 16 Humbles. The humbles of a deer are the Liver, &c.-P. Noumbles of a dere, or beest, entrailles. Palsgrave. Præcordia, the numbles, as the hart, the splene, the lunges, and lyver. Elyot. Skinner writes the word the 'humbles' of a stag, and rightly considers it as derived from umbilicus." Way in Promptorium, p. 360, note.-F.

Gybelet, idem quod Garbage (see note, above). Gybelet of fowlys. Profectum. Promptorium.-F.

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3

The Iowle of a Taylor was1 serued for a ffish,
with vinigar2 pist by the deane of Dustable 3;
tow aldermen lobsters a-sleepe in a dish,

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with a dryed deputye & a sowcet 5 constable.6

7 These gott him soe feirce a stomacke againe,
that now he wants meate wheron to ffeeda:8
he called for the victualls were drest for his
traine,

and they brought him vp an alepotrida,

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Wherin were 10 mingled courtier,11 clowne,
tradsmen, 12 marchants, 12 banquerouts store,
Churchmen, 12 Lawyers of either gowne,-
of civill, commen, 13-player & whore,

Countess, 14 servant, Ladyes, 14 woman,
mistris, 14 chambermaid, coachman, 14 knight,
Lord & visher, groome 15 & yeaman;

where first the ffeend with his forke did light.

All which devowred, he now for to close
doth for a 16 draught of Derbye ale call.
he heaued the huge vessell vp to his nose,

& left not till hee had drunk 17
vp all.

2 Aldermen lobsters.

The Devil asks for more food.

They give him an Olla Podrida

of Bank

rupts,

Lawyers,

Ladies,

Chambermaids, &c.

He eats

it all,

asks for some Derby ale,

and drinks it up.

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